1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus used in training a student in martial arts such as Karate where the student is leaning the process of kicking with a bare foot or striking with the side of a bare hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of devices that have been designed to train a student in the field of martial arts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,629 to Wright describes an apparatus that provides an adjustable resistance force such as a kick. Wright describes a complex system of pulleys and weights whereby the student stands on one foot on a platform suitably adjusted for the student""s height and places his other foot on a slide block and gives a kick. A slide block slides in the slide assembly to a final position restrained by resistance means which Wright describes as pulleys thereby giving the student exercise for those muscles specifically associated with a kick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,316 to Prince is a very complex apparatus that includes a target to be kicked which will provide intensity as well as whether the kick has landed in the correct position on the target. An electrical sensing circuit will give the student a visual result of the efficiency of the kick.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,551 to Shenton describes a reusable break-a-way board assembly used in martial arts training. This invention simulates breaking of a board even though the board does not actually break. The breaking assembly uses a breaking mechanism, which closely simulates the conditions required for the breaking of a real board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,045 to Heberer describes an apparatus for positioning and securing at least one target board at a particular height and angle for the practice of martial arts.
All of the above patents do not provide a spring-load air cylinder that can be adjusted to provide variable resistance for the kicking target and the air cylinder that provides spring means to bring the kicking target back to its original position.
Accordingly, a fuller understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the Summary of the Invention, and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus to train a student in martial arts and the process of Karate kicking.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame containing a padded target where the martial arts kicker can land the kick blows.
It is yet another object of the present invention whereby the base frame is permanently attached to a surface.
It is still another object of the present invention where the frame has attached thereto an air cylinder that contains a spring that returns the padded target to the original position after the martial arts kicker lands his blows.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a frame, pivotally in the fore and aft direction, the frame being connected to an air cylinder that absorbs the blows of a kick and also returns the target to its original position which will be ready for the next kick blow.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.